Stories from earlier this week and beyond.
SoftBank Group is reportedly preparing to list its AI and robotics firm Roze in the United States, with plans that could value it at about $100 billion. CEO Masayoshi Son is pushing the move this year, even as the company weighs heavy investments, including commitments linked to OpenAI, to support growth and momentum.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief after a wall collapse in Bengaluru, Karnataka, killed seven people, including three children. In a statement on X, he called the incident unfortunate and wished for the injured to recover soon. Modi also announced ex gratia support for the victims, underscoring the government’s response to the tragedy.
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Sahi, a stock broking platform founded by former Swiggy CTO Dale Vaz and ex Kotak Securities executive Manish Jain, raised $33 million in a Series B led by Accel with Elevation Capital participating. The startup plans to deepen its technology and AI stack, expand its product suite into new trading categories, and scale its user base after sharp growth in trades, active traders, and demat accounts.
The US Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75% for the third consecutive meeting. The decision, led by Chair Jerome Powell, reflects ongoing uncertainty tied to the US-Iran conflict. With the FOMC vote split, investors are watching what this policy stance could mean for liquidity, dollar trends, and India’s stock market sentiment.
Tata Electronics says its workforce has surged to 75,000, placing it ahead of Foxconn and making it Apple’s largest contract manufacturer by headcount. The expansion is largely driven by Tata’s Hosur facility, signaling accelerating electronics manufacturing in India. Analysts also point to Tata’s strategy of shifting toward higher-value parts of the supply chain to deepen its global role.
Foreign investors have sold Indian stocks worth over ₹1.8 lakh crore in 2026, already surpassing the total outflows recorded for 2025. The steep selling is the highest in the first four months of any year, driven by a weak rupee, high oil prices, and fewer AI-related investment opportunities as capital shifts to semiconductor and AI plays like South Korea and Taiwan.
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Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit, attributing the jump to strong demand for AI-critical chip sales. The earnings helped lift South Korea’s Kospi, which opened above 6,700, extending momentum after both Samsung and major US tech players delivered upbeat results. Investors are now closely watching whether the AI-driven chip boom can sustain margins.
Eternal’s Q4 FY26 performance looks explosive on paper: profits jumped 4.5X and operating revenue surged 196%, led by Blinkit. But the company’s profitability hangs by a thread, with a large share propped up by other income while expenses rise almost as fast as revenue. The roundup also includes Snabbit’s $56M raise, Cashify’s IPO chatter, and more startup updates.
Indian AI founders often succeed abroad, but Bharat1.ai is betting on a physical “base camp” in Bengaluru. Backed by NVIDIA and local research and academic partners, the startup has built a 500,000 sq ft AI Superpark with 400 GBps connectivity and plans a 70-acre AI city focused on agentic and physical AI validation.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he plans to use King Charles III’s upcoming 9/11 visit to press for the return of the Kohinoor diamond to India. Speaking at a press conference, he framed the 105.6-carat gem as a symbol of imperialism taken under duress, signaling his message would go beyond polite diplomacy.
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Amazon and Meta are joining rivals in a regulatory push to curb the dominance of Google Pay and PhonePe in India’s UPI instant payments market. Together they account for about 80% of transaction volume, and competing players are planning meetings with regulators to lobby for restrictions that could reshape how the payment system operates.
SEBI has fined Axis Trustee Services ₹10 lakh for failing to promptly disclose an adverse ruling against former REIT executive Aravind Maiya. The National Financial Reporting Authority found Maiya guilty of misconduct, information critical for unitholders and stock exchanges. Regulators said Axis Trustee’s disclosure delay triggered the action, highlighting compliance expectations for trust managers.
Vedanta says it has delivered record Q4 profit and expects FY27 to stay strong. The company plans a major debt reduction, continued expansion investments and shareholder rewards, with leverage projected to hit a new low. It’s also moving ahead with its demerger, setting up four new firms to list soon, with some units potentially debt-free post-demerger.
Microsoft expects strong sales momentum for Azure as it ramps up investment for the next phase of the AI race. The company is planning substantial, record-level capital spending in 2026, alongside heavy AI infrastructure buildout. Investors are watching closely as Copilot’s user base continues to rise steadily, reinforcing demand for its AI assistant.
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Instant domestic help platforms such as Urban Company, Snabbit, and Pronto are struggling with gig worker unavailability even as demand accelerates. In Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, users report limited availability and disrupted service timelines. With competition intensifying, these startups are rushing to expand supply so that onboarding and booking can catch up with rapidly rising requests.
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, but the meeting exposed deep divisions among policymakers. Three officials voted against a statement viewed as leaning toward future rate cuts, citing persistent inflation pressures. The dispute is linked to rising global energy prices that may keep prices elevated. The decision is the most divided since 1992 and arrives amid leadership transition.
Neo Alternative Asset Managers has announced the first close of its Neo Infra Income Opportunities Fund II, raising Rs 1,500 crore against a Rs 5,000 crore target. The fund will invest in operational, revenue-generating infrastructure assets backed by long-term contracted cash flows, mainly from government counterparties, with a focus on roads and renewable energy.
AI firm Anthropic is reportedly exploring a new funding round that could value it at more than $900 billion. If finalized, it would likely crown Anthropic as the world’s most valuable AI startup. The company is said to be considering offers at over double its current valuation, with a decision expected in May.
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Amazon says its AWS cloud business is bringing in more money than expected, signaling strong momentum in the segment. But the company’s CEO also warned that heavy capital spending will continue for the near term, even as profits rise. The result: investors may see upside from AWS alongside costs needed to support growth.
Bajaj Finance posted a strong Q4FY26 consolidated net profit of ₹5,464.6 crore, up 22% year-on-year, supported by a 20% rise in net interest income and 22% growth in assets under management. The lender also announced that Rajiv Bajaj will step down from the company’s board after the annual general meeting on July 30.
OnEMI Technology Solutions’ lending arm Kissht is preparing an IPO to raise ₹850 crore, driven by rising AUM and customer growth. But the pitch has a catch: elevated NPAs and dependence on unsecured personal loans add credit risk. Analysts suggest long-term investors may prefer clarity on post-listing financial stability before betting.
Elon Musk returned to the stand for a second day as he pursues a legal bid aimed at dismantling OpenAI. The testimony keeps circling back to his own online statements, tightening the link between his public tweets and the claims now being argued in court. The day’s focus underscores how prior remarks may shape the outcome.
Donald Trump says his administration is preparing to release “very interesting” UFO and UAP files soon, pointing to military pilots’ claims of extraordinary sightings. The move would mark the biggest executive push toward disclosure in decades, even as the Pentagon urges restraint and has cautioned against alien-related conclusions.
AI has turned trust into a cyber weakness, enabling deepfake-driven fraud where voice, video, and identity look real enough to approve millions. A real case saw a $25M+ loss after an AI-made meeting duped a finance executive. As deepfake tools become “as-a-service,” security shifts from identity checks to intent-based verification, layered approvals, and behavioral detection.
Indian markets climbed on Wednesday, with the Nifty and Sensex rising about 0.8% each, driven by strong earnings cues from major companies. Added support came from signs of respite in West Asia, easing geopolitical worries. Even with crude oil remaining elevated, investors stayed upbeat, though analysts expect consolidation ahead.
India’s Finance Ministry has flagged mounting risks to growth and prices, pointing to the West Asia war and a forecast weak monsoon. The combined shock could push inflation higher, worsen deficits, and slow economic activity. Still, it expects resilience from strong domestic demand, policy buffers, and continued public investment to stabilize outcomes.
The Indian rupee closed at a record low of 94.85 per US dollar as high crude prices and steady dollar demand intensified selling pressure. The RBI stepped in to support the currency, but analysts expect volatility to continue, driven by oil prices and shifting capital flows. Further pressure is seen even at stronger levels as market sentiment stays risk-off.
Google has broken ground on a gigawatt-scale AI hub in Visakhapatnam, partnering with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel as part of a $15 billion investment. The facility aims to link subsea cables, fibre connectivity, and renewable energy while enabling local procurement. Meanwhile, Rebalance is expanding access for women founders through mentorship, investor introductions, and no-fee no-equity support.
The West Asia war is reshaping diesel demand, cutting bulk sales to oil companies by 30-50% as large customers switch to buying from retail pumps. With retail diesel priced about ₹50 per litre cheaper, the shift is deepening losses for oil marketing companies, though state transport corporations remain exempt from higher bulk pricing. The widening gap is driving even more customers to seek alternatives.
Meta says its Reality Labs continues to lose billions each quarter, with no quick path to profitability. The situation is made tougher by rising AI spending plans, which are expected to add further pressure to costs. The result: even with tech advances, investors are watching cash burn grow rather than slow down.
Satya Nadella says Microsoft is ready to “fully exploit” the latest OpenAI agreement, where Microsoft can offer OpenAI technology to its cloud customers. The key twist: Microsoft reportedly doesn’t have to pay for the underlying tech, turning the partnership into a potentially high-margin distribution opportunity for Microsoft’s cloud business.
Microsoft’s stock slid more than 2% in extended trading after its Azure growth and AI spending updates landed. While cloud revenue growth matched expectations, investors appeared focused on how it stacked up against faster-rising rivals. Updates on Copilot adoption also fed sentiment, but the takeaway was that “as expected” wasn’t enough.
A 32-year-old cab driver in Bengaluru says he found a lizard inside a half-eaten paneer tikka roll bought from a bakery on Magadi Main Road. He was hospitalised after the discovery on April 25, triggering public outrage and police action. Authorities have filed a negligence case and launched an investigation into the incident.
Microsoft says it now has more than 20 million paid Copilot users, challenging the idea that the AI assistant is mainly unused or abandoned. The company also claims engagement is rising, indicating users are returning and relying on Copilot for day-to-day work, not merely testing it once.
US President Donald Trump hinted at a potential Ukraine ceasefire after a 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin, saying Putin “suggested a little bit of a ceasefire.” Trump also insisted Russia should end the war before receiving US help regarding Iran, reiterating a tough stance that Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Google Cloud has crossed $20B in quarterly revenue for the first time, driven by accelerating AI-related workloads. Yet the company warns that the pace of growth was held back by capacity constraints, implying it may have delivered even higher revenue if more infrastructure had been available. Investors are watching how quickly Google can expand resources to meet demand.
Jerome Powell said he plans to remain on the Federal Reserve’s board after his chair term ends next month, for a period to be determined. He warned that what he called “unprecedented” legal attacks by the Trump administration could undermine the Fed’s independence, and suggested the move limits Trump’s ability to appoint a new governor.
Amazon reported a stronger first-quarter profit and revenue, with cloud growth, AI investments, new partnerships, and expanded delivery helping drive net sales higher. The company also offered a solid sales outlook, but shares slipped after hours as investors scrutinized spending plans and flagged rising tariff and shipping costs across global operations.
Meta reported strong revenue and raised its capital spending outlook, projecting higher AI infrastructure spending while expecting steady ad growth. Yet shares fell in extended trading as investors weighed plans for layoffs and deeper AI integration across products and workforce operations, alongside ongoing regulatory uncertainty in the US and EU.
Alphabet’s results sparked a rally, pushing Google parent shares higher in extended trading. The company reported about $62.6 billion profit and nearly $110 billion revenue, driven by AI-focused spending, rising cloud demand, and partnership momentum. Still, investors are zeroing in on future costs, AI and cloud capacity constraints, and competitive pressure across the market.
Thailand’s finance ministry says the country’s economic growth and tourist arrivals are expected to fall this year as the Middle East conflict pushes global energy prices higher. With the US-Israel campaign against Iran underway for two months, tourists from Europe and the Middle East have declined, driven by the rise in fuel costs that makes travel more expensive.
Gold and silver prices have fallen after the US Fed kept interest rates unchanged and flagged concerns about inflation, pushing traders to expect no rate cuts soon. Broader market forces also played a role, including oil price swings and Middle East tensions. Analysts remain divided on whether precious metals will keep dropping or rebound next.
Google reported adding 25 million paid subscriptions in Q1, bringing its total to 350 million. The company credits momentum in YouTube subscriptions and Google One, which continued to expand. The headline figure highlights accelerating consumer demand for bundled services, with Google’s subscription flywheel widening beyond search and into media and storage.
Cyberattack attempts are surging across the UAE and the wider Gulf, with financial services, government platforms, and utilities among the hardest hit. Experts say attacks have tripled, disrupting business activity and delaying operations. The escalation is raising fears about eroding confidence in digital infrastructure and exposing growing vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, demand for cybersecurity professionals in the region is climbing sharply.
Fusion startup Zap Energy is making a surprising partial pivot: alongside its fusion research, it plans to develop nuclear fission reactors. The move signals a strategy shift toward parallel power pathways as fusion timelines remain uncertain. It also raises big questions about licensing, safety, and how the company will integrate two very different reactor technologies under one commercialization plan.
Bitcoin is hovering near the 80,000 level as markets debate what’s fueling the latest push. Billionaire Michael Saylor’s Strategy has been a major buyer, but its pace has reportedly slowed due to funding pressures tied to STRC shares. Meanwhile, broader risk-on moves and macro uncertainty keep the trend anything but clear.
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of severe delays at the NCLT, where approval of resolution plans is getting stuck. It flagged hundreds of pending applications with timelines stretching up to four years, citing inadequate infrastructure and shortages of members as major drivers. The move raises pressure for faster, more reliable insolvency outcomes.
India’s road transport ministry is proposing an update to vehicle emission rules, under Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Higher ethanol blends such as E85 and E100, along with B100 biodiesel, would be included in emission testing and certification. The change seeks to formally recognise these advanced fuels in the country’s compliance framework.
A government report points to a steady rise in women’s presence across corporate decision-making. Female representation on boards and in senior leadership roles has increased, signaling momentum in breaking long-standing barriers. The report also highlights a parallel surge in entrepreneurship, with more women stepping into leadership and ownership roles.
Accenture has locked in more than 600,000 sq ft of office space in Pune to house a global capability centre. The rollout will happen in two phases, with full occupation planned to conclude by June. The move is aimed at improving operational efficiency and consolidating teams under one expanded base in the city, backed by a reported long-term ₹325 crore arrangement.
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